From the End to the Start

Chapter 16

"Good news, mate!" Diaval looked up as Robert and Leila excitedly dropped on either side of him, grinning.

"What?" He asked apprehensively, knowing that those two are always up to no good.

"We have a Hogsmeade visit scheduled on Valentine's Day!" Leila exclaimed.

Diaval raised an eyebrow. "Uhm, how is that good news exactly?"

Robert was about to speak when Leila preempted him. "Well, it's a perfect time to ask Maleficent out, don't you think?"

Shutting the book in his hands shut, he vigorously protested. "What? No. No. It's not going to happen."

"Why not? You fancy her, don't you?" Leila asked, earning a glare from Robert for interrupting him yet again. The blond simply smiled.

"Well yeah, okay, I do. But I'm sure she only thinks of me as a friend."

"You can't know that for sure! At least ask her or something. Remember, you need to gather as much evidence to support your case." Robert stated one of Ravenclaw's "sacred rules".

Diaval groaned. "Don't you two have anybody else to bother?" They shook their heads in unison, smiling impishly.

"Oh, I heard someone from Hufflepuff is planning to ask her out. If I were you, I'd get a move on, mate!"

"Just shut up and leave me be." Diaval retorted testily.

"Oooh, someone's turning into a jealous grouch!"

Diaval almost hurtled his book towards his aggravating friends who were snickering as they were walking away.

Diaval was still in a bad mood a few days before Valentine's. His friends haven't stopped needling him, and it was becoming seriously annoying. It's not like he didn't want to "get a move on", as his friends put it, because he supposed he did fancy his best friend (he didn't think fancy was the best way to describe it, because it is such a frivolous word to describe his feelings, really). It's just that there was so much more on the line here- their awesome friendship, for one. They've been best friends for years! He'd be stupid to ruin that just because he wanted something different now.

As he was trudging towards the Great Hall, he saw Maleficent talking to another boy along a corridor. The boy was wearing a yellow and black-striped tie- Hufflepuff colors. Is this the bloke Robert warned him about?

Diaval watched as Maleficent's face morphed from surprised to apologetic. After a few exchanges, the other student walked away, dejection clear on his face. When he was out of sight, Diaval approached his best friend.

"Hullo, Lefi. What was that all about?" He asked, feigning nonchalance.

"Oh, you saw that?" She bit her lip in embarrassment. "He wanted to go out with me next Hogsmeade weekend. You know, since it's scheduled on Valentine's and all."

"Oh, I see. What did you say?"

"I said no, of course. I barely know him. I've talked to him about twice, I think? It would be weird to go out with him." She replied. Diaval already knew she rejected the boy, but hearing it straight from her gave him a deeper satisfaction. While he was normally an empathetic sort of person, he found it really hard to feel sorry for the Hufflepuff student.

"Sooo", he drawled, slinging his book bag on his shoulder as they continued to walk towards the Great Hall. "Do you think you'd go out with someone whom you actually know very well?"

"I suppose."

Diaval was debating with himself almost the entire time it took to get to the Hall, torn between wanting to ask her and knowing it might cause a strain in their friendship. They were almost at the doors when Maleficent stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

"Are you alright? You're uncharacteristically quiet."

It might be because of her concerned gaze, but without meaning to he suddenly blurted out, "Will you go out with me?"

Her eyes went wide in surprise. "Are you serious right now?" Her voice was bordering on incredulity. Diaval wished he could take the words back, but he'd already said them and in this situation, the only way out is forward.

"If you'd let me," he ploughed on, "I would like to take you out on a date next Hogsmeade weekend?" Diaval awkwardly grasped the strap of his book bag, rushing his words in mortification.

He watched as emotions flashed through Maleficent's eyes. She almost looked… forlorn, when she finally answered.

"Diaval, I- I can't." He shut his eyes and sighed. She was quick to assuage his obvious disappointment. "It's not because of you, because you're amazing and any girl you ask out would be incredibly lucky, but I just- you're my friend. My best friend." She emphasized the last two words, almost in a desperate manner.

The petulant side in him surfaced. "I guess I'm just a friend, huh?" The bitterness in his words made both of them cringe.

"I'm sorry-" he began.

Maleficent interrupted. "I can't lose you, Diaval."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm not going anywhere."

She seemed so conflicted he just wanted to hold her hand and comfort her. It doesn't matter if she rejects him, as long as she stopped looking so troubled. Heaving a sigh, she explained, "No, I mean, look- say we go on a date, and it ends well, so we go on another, then another, until this becomes a thing. Then I screw up, somehow, like I'm bound to. What then? If we go down this road, there's no going back. We can't return to the way we are now. And I can't not have you as a friend, Diaval. I don't know what I'd do without you. And I know this is incredibly selfish of me, but right now, at this point in my life, I need your friendship- more than romance, more than your love."

Diaval said, "My friendship was never without love, Lefi."

She pursed her lips in response. "You know what I mean."

He smiled, a tad sadly. "I do." Dejected but accepting, he said, "For what it's worth, I don't think you'll screw up. You always think the worst about yourself." He tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, feeling gratified when she didn't instinctively pull away from his touch. "I really, really wish there was a spell or a potion that could make you see yourself the way I see you, because you're pretty amazing, you know? And I think we could be good together. I want to at least try, but if this is not what you want right now, then I'll just have to settle."

Her gaze traveled towards the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Lefi," he took her hands in his own, "when I promised whatever you need, I meant it."

"You're too good to me."

"Not really, since I still don't intend on giving up on you. I'm just going to lie low for a while, but don't be surprised if I try to ask you out again someday. Next month, perhaps?" He grinned impishly.

Maleficent threw him a half-hearted glare that immediately softened into a smile. "I'm not promising anything, but someday- in the distant future, mind you- I might just say yes."

Diaval swore he never knew happiness until he heard those words.

A/N: I wanted to write angst but instead it turned into fluff I'm sorryyyy :( Now this felt certainly rushed. Nevertheless, I hope you find something to like from this.

I don't have anything else written :( The next update, if it doesn't come tomorrow, will come sometime this coming week, if and when I find the time and energy to write something. I do promise to finish this story, but at what pace, I don't know for sure. Anyway, you know how this story ends.

The new cover image for this story is by the lovely bukowskiowl from tumblr.

Cheers!